MAPS: When it comes to finding your way in unfamiliar terrain, motorists still go for the printed picture. But, reports Hugh Oram, electronic alternatives are spreading
Irish motorists, whether at home or abroad, still like to find their way around using old-fashioned maps and road atlases. However, electronic mapping and route guidance are gaining ground.
Full navigation systems, already fitted in some high value cars, are expected to become much more widely used, especially with restraints on mobile phones.
Printed products of the Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) are still extremely popular with drivers, says Michael Cullen, super-intendent of telesales at OSI headquarters in Dublin. The organisation produces maps in many different sizes, at various scales.
The Discovery series is particularly popular with drivers. Its 89 maps cover the Republic at 1:50,000 scale, providing an extraordinary level of detail. The OSI's Road Atlas of Ireland is at a very decent scale of 1:210,000 and includes city and town maps. Its Dublin road atlas, at 1:15,000, is now in its third edition. "Everyone wants it - taxi drivers, couriers and tourists," adds Cullen.
The OSI doesn't do digital mapping products for drivers, but this could change in the future, perhaps on a joint venture basis.
The AA claims to be the leading publisher of road maps and atlases, with more than 100 products available, covering Ireland, Britain, other European countries and the US. Here in Ireland, it provides free mapping for members with its handbook and motoring guide, distributed to 230,000 Irish motorists.
Michelin declines to give any details of its map sales volumes in Ireland.
Another leading map publisher is HarperCollins. In Britain it publishes over 300 maps and atlases under the Collins brand. Its products are widely available here. According to its website, HarperCollins does street guides of "various cities in the UK, such as Dublin and York".
Even more exotic maps are available from shops such as Hodges Figgis, in Dawson Street, Dublin, which has an extensive selection of maps and atlases, including a long-time favourite, the Michelin Road Atlas of France. Other series on sale here include the Touring Club Italiano series and the small Popout maps of cities in Europe and North America.
More and more motorists are now turning to electronic products. At their most straightforward, these include the AA Traveller electronic road map, which sells for €99. It covers Ireland as well as many major European routes. Additional route cards cost €44.35. This device works out distance, fuel consumption and routes.
Another electronic option is available at the www.iol.ie website - its mapping facility claims to be able to pinpoint any address in the country. If you're travelling, you can always print it out. Developing mobile phone technology would seem to offer new mapping avenues, but restrictions on use of mobile phones in cars makes this problematic. Mobile phone operators already offer lots of motoring services, such as the location of the nearest petrol station. The AA is about to launch a new mobile phone service warning of traffic jams up the road, but these services are all text-based.
Even with the advent of 3G phones, their use for mapping seems doubtful because of legal restrictions on use in cars. At present, you need a portable device such as a Nokia 9210 Communicator, which costs around €1,000 and has a screen big enough to show a map, but it's against the law to use it in a car.
Dennis Fisk, membership director of the AA, feels that the future probably lies in route guidance systems. The ultimate will be highly sophisticated systems, already being used in some upmarket marques. In time, as the cost comes down, they could become as ubiquitous as car radios or CD players. The Garda press office sees no prohibition on using in-car navigation systems.
The car of the future will use satellite global positioning systems (GPS) to pinpoint location and electronic maps to calculate desired routes. Spoken instructions will guide the driver. As Fisk says, the technology is already well proven. "The clever bit is to add traffic information to the street layout".
Chief technology officer of the Dublin-based Mapflow company, Harvey Applebe, explains, "mapping is one of the few forms of advice that are improved by going digital". With mobile and Internet technology, drivers can be given a lot more information, such as changing road conditions, as well as other services, such as roadside assistance, that can work off the same mapping services. Other sources, such as Michelin, believe that the number of cars in Europe equipped with in-car navigation systems will increase by about 30 per cent over the next five years.
According to Robert Taylor, managing director of RAC Ireland, Ireland is falling behind Britain when it comes to developing up-to-date driver information and satellite navigation systems. In Britain the RAC has launched its SmartNav system, which is described as the first satellite navigation system with live traffic information. The system can even be used to order flowers and champagne! It sells in Britain for £499 (sterling) plus a fitting charge, and the annual subscription is £120.
Michelin and its famous rotund mascot, M Bibendum, have the lofty ambition of becoming Europe's leader in digital road services for both business and leisure, says Rebecca Irani, marketing and communications manager in Britain. The company's first foray into electronic data was into the Minitel system in France 10 years ago.